buzzards were soaring well up in the air the small
machine would fly and the two-seater carry a passenger.
If these birds were flying low and had to do much
flapping, the air was only good enough for the two-
seater to fly with the pilot alone. This point was soon
to be brought home both to poor Capt. Hamilton and
myself rather forcibly. We had been invited to pay a
visit to the Country Club, some 16 miles from Mexico
City. I suggested that we both go over on the two-
seater, then, if we were detained till sunset I could
fly back alone. Hamilton was rather anxious to put the
little machine through its paces, and he decided to make
the attempt on that, while I flew over alone on the two-
seater. We set out at 2.30 p.m., the liltle Deperdussin
climbing easily and well, and we both arrived safely.
After a game of tennis, and some tea, it began to cloud
over, and it was 5 before Hamilton started back. I
rather urged him not to make the attempt, but he
thought he could manage it, so off he went, disappearing
over some high trees with 80 ft. or so to spare. He
thought he could not clear them, and was trying to
force the machine up, when a side gust caught him,
turned the monoplane completely over, and it described
a vol plane on its back, Hamilton with his knees under
the control bridge, still hanging on inside. It landed,
breaking everything but the wheels and Hamilton, who
then dropped out unhurt—a marvellous escape.
It was an expensive break, but it served to confirm
absolutely what we had already supposed, and we were
obliged to chalk it up to experience, our fund of which
was increasing much more rapidly than our banking
account.
While speaking of heat eddies, I might mention an
incident at Santa Rita, where I flew over a forest fire of
considerable magnitude. Above the smoke region the
hot air rose very rapidly, and as soon as the machine
entered it, it would rise almost vertically. The first
experience came so suddenly and with such alarming
force that I felt sure something must have gone wrong,
and I was not long in getting back to earth to think
the matier over, a habit of mine. It was some time
before I could persuade myself to try it again ; however,
when I did, the effect was the same, and once the cause
of it was definitely determined it was rather a source of
amusement to me and spectacular for the onlookers.
At this same place I had the disagreeable experience of
being lost for an hour and a half. Outside of a few
QUESTIONS IN
ON the 8thinst, in the House of Commons, Lord C. Bereiford
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he was aware that the
Admiralty circular letter of July 15th, 1912, stated that officers and
men of the Royal Flying Corps would be paid at certain rates,
with additional flying pav of Ss. a day for officers and 2s. a day for
men, and that in the circular letter it was laid down that these
allowances would be paid continuously as in the submarine service,
and that officers and men would receive only half the flying pay
whilst under instruction and full allowance when qualified ; whether
the Admiralty have lately ordered that officers and men will only
receive flying pay on days on which they actually make an ascent, half-
rate whilst under instruction, and, presumably, though this point is not
confirmed, the full rate when qualified ; whether he is aware that it
was under the former conditions that officers and men were induced
to volunteer for the airship service, since no distinction was made
between the airship section and the aeroplane section ; and if he
will state why the regulations in regard to the payment of flying
pay to these officers and men were altered.
Mr. Churchill, in a written answer, stated : The answer to the
first part of the question is in the affirmative ; but the flying pay for
men is 4?. or 2s. a day, according to their flying proficiency. As
regards the second part of the question, the answer is in the
affirmative so far as the naval airship section is concerned. With
regard to the remainder of the question I have nothing to add to the
Indian huts and their occupants there was not a single
soul within a radius of 30 miles. My mechanics and I
ran the machines off two flat railway cars early that
morning, and we spent a hard day erecting them in the
hot sun. They were ready for action at four o'clock in
the afternoon, and the machines were run out on to our
improvised aerodrome, a patch some 900 ft. by 500 ft.
which we had had burnt off and which was as black as a
cinder. To be sure I could see it very plainly from
above, so I took no particular care to take any bearings,
but here I was mistaken as it turned out afterwards. I
started off for the mountains and 15 minutes later by my
clock swerved round and headed back again, but where
was that little black patch of ground ? Nowhere to be
seen. Look as I would there was absolutely no trace of it.
Imagine my feelings flying over a wild uninhabited country,
tropical forests, jungles and swamps, everything but a good
landing ground. The next thing I knew was the sight of
the ocean looming up ahead of me, and as I knew I had
started from a point about 50 miles inland, I turned
back again and headed for Mount Orizaba. Back I
went, making repeated vol planes to get a better look at
the country below, my anxiety increasing at every
revolution of the propeller. At last, in the gathering
darkness, I caught sight of the flicker of a flame,
and, making a beeline for it, found to my great satis
faction that it was our encampment. That night, as
I lay awake under the wings of the good old Dep., I
wondered what might have happened had I not caught
sight of that flame. Once more I mentally chalked up a
few figures to my fund of experience, reflecting that
things as viewed from above do not necessarily appear as
they do from the ground.
On one ground in Yucatan I could not fly unless at
least 10 miles an hour of wind were blowing, as the
field was too small to lift from without a head wind.
Returning to earth was still more ticklish an operation,
and I conceived the idea of spreading sand along the far
end. It worked excellently, and pulled the two-seater up
almost at once.
Flying out there late on in the day a curious feeling of
drowsiness very often came over me. The peaceful
surroundings, the dim light, the steady hum of the
motor, and the uniform rush of the air seemed to
induce a semi-hypnotic state which it was difficult to
shake off". For this reason I never flew unless I was in
good physical condition and had had plenty of rest.
® ®
PARLIAMENT.
reply given by Mr. Macnamara to Earl Winterton on the 1st inst.
On the following day Mr. Joynson-Hicks asked the Secretaiy for
War how many aeroplanes have been ordered of the eighteen for
which tenders had been invited on December 19th, and why orders
for further aeroplanes have been so much delayed. Colonel Seely
replied that tenders have been received, the last on January 1st, and
are under consideration.
Mr. Joynson-Hicks further asked the Secretary for War whether
he is aware that over 400 aeroplanes were bought by the French
Army during the past year in addition to the 218 possessed by
the French Army at the end of 1911 ; how many aeroplanes the
Royal Flying Corps possesses belonging to the Military Wing, and
how many at the Central Flying School; how many of these are
actually in flying order ; and how many of them are capable of
exceeding a speed of 65 miles an hour in calm air, i.e., without the
assistance of the wind.
Colonel Seely in a written answer stated : There is no information
at the War Office to show the number of aeroplanes bought by the
French Army during the past year. The Royal Flying Corps,
Military Wing, possesses 29 aeroplanes, and the Central Flying
School 26. Of these, 26 and 19 respectively are in flying order.
With regard to the last part of the question, I do not think it is
desirable to make public the qualities in speed or otherwise of our
aeroplanes for use in war.